Yin-Yang Marrow Cleansing, A Thorough Examination of Dugu Yan

Early the next morning, Dugu Bo brought Dugu Yan to a valley deep within Sunset Forest.

Dugu Yan wore a fitted dark green outfit today, her long hair tied in a high ponytail that revealed her slender, fair neck.

She looked no different from usual, still carrying that cold, distant air. Yet Lin Chen noticed that her fingers kept unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, and her gaze wandered, unwilling to meet his directly.

She was nervous.

"Lin Chen, I've brought her to you." Dugu Bo said with a hearty smile, looking like an old man delivering his granddaughter for a blind date. "How do you need me to cooperate?"

"Senior, just stand guard outside. Don't let anyone disturb us."

"No problem." Dugu Bo patted his chest, then gave Dugu Yan a meaningful look. "Yan'er, cooperate with Lin Chen properly. Don't throw a tantrum."

Dugu Yan gave her grandfather a blank look and said nothing.

Taking the hint, Dugu Bo left the valley and stood guard at its entrance.

Only Lin Chen and Dugu Yan remained in the valley.

Steam from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well rose in the morning sunlight, filling the air with a rich medicinal fragrance.

Dugu Yan stood beside the spring, her gaze resting on the strange waters that were half hot and half cold. After a long silence, she finally asked, "What do you need me to do?"

Her voice was lower than usual, carrying a trace of barely perceptible tension.

Lin Chen walked up to her, his expression serious. "First, I need to examine how the toxins are distributed within your body. This process requires direct contact with your skin, so you may need to remove your outer clothing."

Dugu Yan's eyelashes trembled sharply.

She raised her head and looked at Lin Chen. His gaze was clear and open, without the slightest impure thought, as though a doctor were examining a patient.

She stared at him for several seconds, seemingly confirming that he had no other intentions. Then she looked away and fell silent for a moment.

"...All right."

She turned around, facing away from Lin Chen, and raised her hand to untie the sash around her waist.

Her dark green outer garment slipped down from her shoulders, revealing a thin white underlayer beneath.

Her shoulders were beautifully shaped, her collarbones distinct, and her skin glowed like jade in the morning light.

Her movements were somewhat stiff. A visible blush spread across the roots of her ears, creeping down her neck until even her fingertips were faintly red.

She stood there with her back to Lin Chen, her hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes, her breathing shallower than usual.

"Is this enough?" Her voice was even softer now, carrying a hint of embarrassment she was doing her utmost to suppress.

"That's enough." Lin Chen stepped behind her, his tone steady. "Relax. Don't be nervous."

He raised his right hand, and a gray mark appeared in his palm. His second nine-colored soul ring lit up—Yin-Yang Law Control.

A gentle grayish-white light flowed from his palm and slowly spread across Dugu Yan's back.

Dugu Yan's body suddenly tensed.

That power seeped through her skin and entered her body, bringing a warm sensation, like invisible palms pressed against her skin and slowly moving over it.

She could clearly feel the path that power took through her body.

From her back to her chest, from her shoulders to her fingertips, from her waist to her ankles.

Her breathing became somewhat unsteady.

The sensation was far too strange. Wherever that power passed, her meridians felt as though they had been soaked in warm water—numb and tingling, accompanied by an indescribable sense of comfort.

She could not help lightly biting her lower lip, trying to suppress the sound threatening to escape her throat.

Lin Chen focused on controlling the Yin-Yang power, failing to notice her subtle changes.

The Yin-Yang power moved through her body, inch by inch examining every meridian within her.

Dugu Yan's hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning white.

The warm power circulated through her body, sending waves of tingling numbness through every place it passed, as if a warm hand were gently massaging each of her meridians from within.

Her breathing grew increasingly unstable, and the rise and fall of her chest visibly quickened.

"Relax." Lin Chen's voice came from behind her, steady and gentle. "Don't resist it. Let it flow on its own."

Dugu Yan drew a deep breath and tried her best to relax.

But when that power passed through her waist, an intense tingling sensation suddenly surged through her. She could not help letting out a soft "Mm," then immediately bit her lip, her cheeks flushing scarlet in an instant.

She lowered her head, her bangs concealing most of her face and leaving only two ears red enough to bleed.

As if he had not heard that soft sound, Lin Chen continued controlling the Yin-Yang power.

The power circulated through her body three times, sorting through all the meridians in her body.

The accumulated toxins were gradually stripped away, broken down, and neutralized by the Yin-Yang power, transforming into harmless substances that were expelled from her body.

The entire process lasted around fifteen minutes.

Lin Chen withdrew his hand, and the gray mark slowly faded.

"It's done."

Dugu Yan remained where she was and did not turn around immediately.

Her head was lowered, and her chest still rose and fell faintly. Several seconds passed before she slowly let out a breath that carried a faint tremble.

She looked down at her hands. Her whole body felt lighter, as though a massive stone that had weighed on her chest for years had finally been removed.

A thin layer of gray sweat seeped from the surface of her skin, carrying a faint fishy odor.

"Just go back and take a bath." Lin Chen's voice came from behind her, as calm as ever. "The toxins have already been cleared away. They won't relapse again in the future."

Dugu Yan was silent for a moment before quietly saying, "...Turn around."

Lin Chen froze briefly, then understood and turned his back to her.

The rustling sounds of clothes being put on came from behind him. After a while, Dugu Yan's voice sounded. "All right."

Lin Chen turned back and saw that she had already put her outer garment back on, returning to her usual cold and aloof appearance.

Yet the lingering blush on her cheeks and her slightly disheveled hair still gave away her earlier fluster.

She raised her head and looked at Lin Chen, something complicated in her eyes.

"...Thank you," she said, her voice softer than before.

"You're welcome." Lin Chen smiled. "Your grandfather has helped me a great deal. Helping you is only natural."

Dugu Yan fell silent for a while before asking, "What was that soul skill you used just now?"

"The Yin-Yang Law," Lin Chen said. "It can harmonize the Yin-Yang balance of all things. The toxins in your body were yin in nature, so I used yang power to dissolve them, then used yin power to nourish your meridians. It accomplished both at once."

Dugu Yan nodded as though she understood, though not entirely, and did not ask further.

She lowered her head and looked at her palm, clenching her fist as she felt the unprecedented lightness within her body.

Then she raised her head, looked at Lin Chen, and said something that surprised him a little.

"You're actually pretty reliable."

Lin Chen paused, then smiled. "Was that a compliment?"

"I suppose so." Dugu Yan turned and walked toward the valley entrance. After taking a few steps, she stopped without looking back. "If you need help with anything in the future, you can come find me."

After saying that, she quickly left the valley.

Lin Chen stood where he was, watching her figure disappear beyond the valley entrance. Smiling, he shook his head.

Outside the valley, Dugu Bo saw his granddaughter emerge and hurriedly went up to her. "Yan'er, how did it go?"

Dugu Yan did not answer and walked straight past him. But after taking a few steps, she stopped and quietly said, "Grandpa, he's a good person."

Then she quickened her pace and walked away without looking back.

Dugu Bo stood there in a daze before a brilliant smile bloomed across his face.

He turned to look toward the valley, stroking his beard and grinning like an old fox that had stolen a chicken.

There was hope.